September 28, 2018

Pitch your big idea and win $1000 to make it happen! The contest is open to undergraduates only. The first 25 applicants, first-come, first-serve, whose ideas bring value to society, get in (requirements). Applicant 26 and higher are placed on a waiting list in the order of submission.

Winners must be undergraduates for the duration of the Big iDeas Pitch phase, from contest to Demo Fair Day on Friday Feb 15, 2019.

Ten Easy Steps to Apply, Pitch and Win!

Review the following contest documents. They will help you understand the contest expectations.

Download theBig iDeas Pitch Contest Template. Read carefully and think through your response. When you are ready, print your name and the name of your idea at the top of the form. Write up your Big iDea by responding in a sentence or two to each prompt.

Apply online by Wednesday, September 26, 2018, no later than 11:59 p.m. Complete the online information form. Upload your Big iDeas Pitch Template. Click the submit button. If you have trouble with the online system, email bigideas@smu.edu and describe your problem.

Monitor your "@smu.edu" email on Thursday, September 27 to know if you got in and are cleared to pitch on Friday, September 28.

PITCH CONTESTANTS AND WAITLISTERS

Practice your pitch! You have 90-seconds to convince the judges that your idea is BIG. Check out this document, Words of Advice on Pitching an Idea, for good information on the art of pitching.

Arrive at the Hughes Trigg Student Center Forum between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m. to register and get in line. No-shows will be replaced by contestants from the waiting list and be able to pitch.

Wait outside in the lobby until your name is called by the judges. Pitchat your designated time. Your 90-second pitch will be followed by a 90-second Q and A with the judges.

Remain in the Forum as an audience member after your pitch. There will be a break during the judge's deliberation. Be sure to be back in the audience by 4:30 for the announcements by the judges. All pitches deemed BIG by the judges, win!

2017 PITCH CONTESTANT WINNERS

Set up an appointment to meet with the Big iDeas coordinator (to be held in the Engaged Learning Office, Clements Hall G-13). Confirm your participation. Get access to your $1000 seed money.

Design and build a prototype of your idea in the next four months. You will show the SMU community your idea at the Big iDeas Demo Day Fair on February 15, 2019.

Questions?

February 15, 2019 - Big iDeas Demo Day

Open to undergraduates, the first top 15 applicants with business ideas that bring value to society, for profit or not-for-profit, get in. Applicant 16 and higher are placed on a waiting list in order of submission.

What it Means to Win

You'll have one academic year and $5,000 to build your startup with the help & support of SMU's Big iDeas Program. You'll have 24/7 access to the CUBE in suite 600 of Expressway Tower, a co-working space exclusively for Big iDeas students. At the end of the year, you can re-apply to pitch for another $5,000.

Winners must be undergraduates for the duration of the Big iDeas business plan phase, from the competition on February 15, 2019 to the Demo Day fair early in the Spring 2020 semester.